Golf marker



Nov. 24, 1931. s. P. SEARS ET AL GOLF MARKER Filed Oct. 25, 1928 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED srATEis .PATFEN'T OFFICE r. smssw nosron, mnmrn A. "SULLIVAN, or Newton mamas, Hesse 'encsmm's ears mama maximum as October 25, 1 92s. seen 1%. 315,075.

This invention :r'elates to markers for nse on golf links for indicating to the golfer at a tee the location of Ethe -cup in the distantgreen and-the precise distance from the tee to the on An'ob eCt-of the inventionzis to provide a marker of u itery construction which will convey tothe golifer rail the information.necessary to enable him to calculate the direction and di-stance'of his-ldrive,-whether ornot the "is visible from the tee. The indications of the marker, moreover, ware of such chamcter ias be visible and conspicuous andlmay beadjusted-in accordance with variations in the -loca-tion of the "tee-:01 of the cup in the disttmtggreen. 'It-is' the practice tochange "the location of'the cup in thewgree'n frequmtlyin order :to avoid wearing bare the turf, and in a image green m wide varie '9? tion in location is possible which afiectsno't only the length of thehole but the direction in which the ggreen'cen be most ifavorab-ly approached. It-11s also customary to change the location of the tee occasionally or to provide a second bee for WOIDQIl'gPl flYB'IS, located somewhat nearer to the green than the "he used lby men players. :"Dhese cohditions introduce an element of uncertainty which the present invention :aims to eliminote.

In respect, the invention consists in Pa golf marker which 'in'cluds a {green chart having adjustable :means for designating thereon the position of the cnp hin the distant "green. As'hereinshown thergreen chart is laid out in defined areas and means is provided :for selectively indicating on the chart the areacorresponding to that :in which the cup in "the distant green isg-then -located. If, 4'0 for bxampleythe'on should be il ocated-tm ward the left-sides the greenl'a-ndmear the center "back to iront the indicating means in the chart :wlllbe 'erranged toxdesignate the deft-hand central area, while if the 4 cup-should be'locatedtoword thorax-right hand corner of the green the loeation-ofthe indicatingmeansin the chart ischangedto the corresponding arear lViththis-information'ava-ilable, the golfer may calculate his drive so as to approach the green from the most favorable side or, if possible, to reach the .green in the area wherein the cup is located. The increasing distance of drives and the accuracyof direction vnow beingdeveloped in the game render theinfor-mation thus conveyed to the golfer of material assistance.

Thednvention also contemplates the provision of a yardage register for indicating the distance of the marker, or of the tee whereat it is located, from the green and m fronrthe particular area in which the cup is located and as indicated upon the green chart. As herein shown, the vregistering 'device-comprises a series of numbered drums Which-may :be rotated to display a figure indicating the yardage in question. The drums are freely rotatable on a spindle contained in thevcasing of the marker and are provided with locking mechanism for -ho'lding them in'adj'u's'ted position. As herein shown, each drum is provided with a rib adapted to be engaged by a clamping screw set a frame member carried by the spindle upon which the'drum is turned. The whole assembly is arranged as a unit which may be detached removed from the casing, if -desired,-a-nd which construction is convenient in assembling the elem ents ofthe marker.

EFhQSB flIl-d other features of the invention will be: bestirnderstood and appreciated from the iiolloW-ingdescription of a preferred em bodiment thereof, selected ior purposesof illustration and; shown in the accompanying drawings, in which F ig. 1 marker;

:Fig.- 2 -is a vertical sectional viewg and =Fi g; -3v is -a-transverse-sectional view on the lined- 3 of Fig. 2.

The 'body of the marker "comprises asheet is a view in perspective of the measured line.

metal casing 10 having an inclined front wall 12 and a leg 16 at each corner adapted to be forced into the turf on a tee and thus anchor the marker in position. The inclined front face 12 carries an arrow indicating the general direction of the distant green and designation indicating the number of the hole, and a window 14 framing a display aperture for the yardage register. This is covered by a pane of glass so that the body of the marker comprises a complete weatherproof casing.

Within the casing and on opposite sides thereof are provided a pair of lugs 30 to which is detachably secured a transverse spindle 32. J ournaled to rotate freely upon the spindle 32 are concentric drums 20,22 and 24 each carrying upon its periphery a series of figures from 0 to 9. At one end each drum is provided with a stiff flange 25. A stationary stirrup-shaped frame 34 is pinned to the spindle 32 and extends across the bottom of the drums where it is provided with clamping screws 36, one disposed opposite to the flange of each drum and serving to release I or to lock the individual drums in any position of adjustment. The spindle 32 is so located that the peripheries of the three drums are brought into the display aperture of the window 14 and into close proximity to the glass thereof so that the figures carried by the drums are displayed conspicuously. It will be apparent that the drums with their locking mechanism may be assembled on the spindle 32 as a unit and then mounted within the casing.

The upper surface of the marker is flat and has secured thereto a green chart comprising a plate laid out by lines 42 in defined areas or squares which are numbered serially for purposes of identification. In each square is provided a threaded socket 44 and a marker simulating a flag and having a threaded stem may be inserted in any one of the sockets 44 which appropriately '1 designates the corresponding area of the distant green in which the cup is at the time located.

It will be apparent that the golfer coming to the tee and glancing at the marker above described may orient the green chart with the distant green and by observing the area in which the flag 46 is inserted ascertain at once the location of the cup in the distant green. Also, the exact number of yards from the tee to the cup is conspicuously displayed in the window 14. With this information available, the golfer requires only the requisite skill in driving to place his ball in the most favorable position for the succeeding shot.

It is believed that heretofore a distance register has never been combined with visual means for indicating the location of the cup which constitutes the other terminus of the It will be apparent that we locate our marker at one end of a measured line and the position of the cup, which constitutes the other end of the measured line, is visually indicated by the marker. Variations in the position of the cup are indcated by appropriately changing the position of the flag 46 in the green chart and the corresponding variation in the measured line from the marker to the cup is indicated by correspondingly adjusting the register. This combination is believed to be broadly new. Further, it is believed that heretofore no device has ever been available for visually indicating at the tee the position of the cup in the distant green, whether associated or not with a distance register.

4 Many modifications and changes in detail will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, but having set forth the objects and nature of our invention, and having shown and described a. construction embodying the features thereof, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A. portable marker for golf comprising a support bearing a chart of the green in miniature, said support having means for anchoring the marker at the tee so as to orient the green chart with the actual distant green, and said green chart being arbitrarily divided symmetrically into a plurality of like areas indicating a corresponding mythical division of the green each such area having means for holding a signal device to indicate the divisional location of the cup in the green at any particular time, and a single signal device for selective association with the holding means of any area of the green chart. d

2. A portable marker for golf comprising a support bearing a chart of the green iii miniature, said support having means for anchoring the marker at the tee so as to orient the green chart with the actual distant green, and said green chart being arbitrarily divided symmetrically into a pluralityoflike areas indicating a corresponding mythical division ofthe green each such area having hole therein, and a signal having a part fashioned-to fit any hole and to be selectively fitted in the hole of the green chart area corresponding to the area of the green in which the cup may be located.

3. A port-able golf marker, to be positioned at selective driving areas of a tee varying in distance from a green, having a numerical yardage register and a green chart divided into areas corresponding to selective placements of the cup in the green said chart being provided with an adjustable indicator to designate the area of the green in which the cup may be located at any time, means for setting the numerals of the yardage register to satisfy the two variables of selective I;

locations of the driving area at the tee and the cup placement in the green as they may exist at any time and for securing said nu merals against displacement after the correct yardage has been determined, and means for anchoring the marker in the turf at the selected driving area of the tee.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures. SAMUEL P. SEARS.

J EREMIAH A. SULLIVAN. 

